Month: December 2013

Extortion vs. Blackmail: What’s The Difference?

The similarities between extortion and blackmail frequently lead to people confusing the two. Both are theft crimes involving threats, but there are differences in the conduct prohibited by the Texas Penal Code for each crime.   Extortion Extortion is a theft crime involving the use of coercion to obtain money, property or services from a victim. Coercion is usually in […]

Written by on December 18, 2013

How Ponzi Schemes Generate Wealth – Until Your Busted

Fraudulent investment schemes have been in the news over the past few years as unscrupulous individuals stole millions of dollars from people enticed by the opportunity to earn extraordinarily high returns on their investments. The most common form of investment fraud is the pyramid scheme.   How a Pyramid Scheme Functions In a typical pyramid scheme, […]

Written by on December 11, 2013

Forgery: 4 Strategies Used to Replicate a Signature

Forgery is usually part of a fraudulent scheme designed to steal money or property from an innocent victim. In its simplest form, forgery involves duplicating a person’s signature. This form of identity theft is rarely the work of a professional forger. Forged signatures are usually the work of individuals with rudimentary forgery skills who rely upon three common […]

Written by on December 4, 2013